The present invention relates to connectors and, more particularly, to a connector assembly for mounting one or more connectors within a connector outlet.
A connector outlet is commonly used at a central location to bring together many external cables at a common junction. Generally, connectors are mounted within the connector outlet to provide a secure connection location for the external cables. The external cables are attached to the connectors utilizing connectors on the external cables which are interengageable with the connectors mounted within the connector outlet.
FIG. 1 depicts a prior art connector outlet 1 capable of providing a common junction for bringing external cables together. The connector outlet 1 is made up of a connector outlet base 1A and a connector outlet cover 1B. The connector outlet base 1A is used to secure connectors within the connector outlet 1 and the connector outlet cover 1B provides protection for cables and cable connections within the connector outlet 1. After a connector is positioned within the connector outlet base 1A, the connector outlet cover 1B is joined with the connector outlet cover 1B. The connector outlet base 1A may be mounted to a surface using fasteners 3. An exemplary connector outlet is a HIDEAWAY Wall Outlet available through ANP(copyright) Incorporated, Part No. 406188-1.
The connector outlet base 1A and connector outlet cover 1B contain connector openings 4A and 4B, respectively, for accommodating connectors. In addition to connector openings 4A and 4B, the connector outlet base 1A and cover 1B contains other openings 7A and 7B for accommodating additional connectors. The connector openings 4A of the connector outlet base 1A contain as a pair of facing, spaced apart connector slots 2 which define each connector opening 4A. Each pair of connector slots 2 enable a connector designed for use with the connector slots 2 to be positioned securely within the connector outlet base 1A. The configuration of the connector slots 2 within the connector outlet base 1A allows the connectors to be positioned within the connector outlet 1 such that the connectors are parallel to the surface on which the connector outlet base 1A is mounted. This arrangement is referred to as a parallel dress configuration.
There are many different prior art connectors currently available for establishing connections between cables. These prior art connectors contain connection ports having many different connection types including, but not limited to, MT, RJ, SC, and ST connection types. FIG. 2 depicts a prior art MT-RJ connector 10. The MT-RJ connector 10 features an MT type connection port 12 on one end and a splice connection port 14 on the other. It would be advantageous to be able to use an existing connector, such as the MT-RJ connector 10, within the connector outlet 1. In order for a connector to be used within the connector outlet 1, however, the connector must be dimensioned such that it fits within the connector opening 4A and engages the facing, spaced apart connector slots 2 of the connector outlet base IA.
An existing approach for using a prior art connector having a desired connection type within the connector outlet base 1A is to specially produce a new connector based on the prior art connector. The new connector is designed such that it may be secured within the pair of facing, spaced apart connector slots 2 while retaining the connection type of the prior art connector. FIG. 3A and 3B depict prior art connectors 8,9 produced through this approach for use within the connector outlet 1. Connector 8 is an SC Duplex Receptacle available through AMP(copyright) Incorporated, Part No. 502772, and connector 9 is an ST Duplex Receptacle available through AMP(copyright) Incorporated, Part No. 503113.
Each of the prior art connectors 8,9 contain flanges 6 for securing the connectors 8,9 within the pair of facing, spaced apart connector slots 2 of the connector outlet base IA. The current practice is to design the connectors 8,9 with two connection ports 5 (i.e., a duplex connector) which are inseparable. In addition, the flanges 6 of the prior art connectors 8,9 are inseparable. If a user does not need both ports 5 of a connector 8,9, one of the ports is capped. Also, since the ports 5 of an individual connector 8,9 are inseparable and the flanges 6 are inseparable from the ports 5, connectors 8,9 may not be used for other applications III where size restriction will permit the use of only a single connection port 5 or connection ports without flanges 6.
Using the existing approach to develop a new connector based on a prior art connector, such as the Nff-RJ connector 10 of FIG. 2, results in an inflexible duplex connector having flanges which would render the connector 10 useless for other applications. 1F In addition, since the ports of the connector would be inseparable, the inflexible connector could not be reconfigured (i.e., changed between a simplex connector and a duplex connector).
Waste results from the inflexibility of connectors produced using the existing approach. The inflexibility prevents the use of existing prior art connectors in the connector outlet 1 and prevents connectors specially designed for use in the connector outlet 1 from being used for other applications. In addition, the inflexibility prevents the connectors from being reconfigured as either simplex or duplex connectors. Since the connectors are not interchangeable nor reconfigurable, at least two different styles of connectors will have to be produced, thereby increasing inventory, storage, and tracking costs. Also, if only duplex connectors are produced, materials are wasted on the extra port 5 and a cap for that port when only a simplex connector is required.
Accordingly, a need has arisen for adaptive means allowing one or more existing connectors, such as the MT-RJ connector of FIG. 2, to be securely positioned within connector slots of a connection outlet while allowing the connector to be used for existing applications.
The present invention comprises a universal connector assembly for mounting one or more universal connectors within a connector outlet having a pair of facing, spaced apart connector slots. The connector assembly is made up of a mounting yoke and the one or more universal connectors. The connectors are positioned within the mounting yoke to form the connector assembly. The connector assembly is then positioned within the connector outlet to provide a secure connection location on the connector outlet.
The mounting yoke of the present invention contains a pair of flanges, connected by a crossbar, configured to interfit within the connector slots of the connector outlet. In addition, the mounting yoke contains bracing members and latching elements for fixed positioning the connectors in relation to the mounting yoke and locking the connectors in position against the bracing members. Each of the connectors contains a groove configured to receive the crossbar of the mounting yoke and latching elements which are interengageable with the latching elements of the mounting yoke.
The mounting yoke of the present invention allows existing connectors to be positioned within the connector outlet with modifications to the connector which do not render the connection useless for other applications. In addition, the mounting yoke can be configured to accommodate one or more connectors for positioning within the same connector slot of the connector outlet. Therefore, to change from a simplex connector to a duplex connector, the mounting yoke is changed while using the same connectors. This arrangement increases flexibility and reduces waste.
It follows from the foregoing that an objective of the present invention is to enable a connector to be securely and easily positioned within a pair of facing, spaced apart connector slots of a connector outlet.
Another objective of the present invention is to enable a connector to be used interchangeably within a simplex connector assembly or a duplex connector assembly.
Yet another objective of the present invention is to allow existing types of connector to be used within a pair of facing, spaced apart connector slots of a connector outlet without modifications which would render the connector unuseable for other applications.
These objectives, among others, will be made apparent to those skilled in the art by way of the following description.